Browsing by Subject "http://www.yso.fi/onto/yso/p6720"
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(2015)Multilingualism and multiculturalism are very common phenomena in the global world of today. People move into other countries and integrate in other cultures more than ever before. This Master's Thesis is a qualitative study on how multilingual people describe their linguistic and cultural identity and how it is to be a minority within the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland. The aim of this study is to increase the knowledge and understanding on people who represent a linguistic minority in the Swedish-speaking linguistic minority in Finland and how they describe their linguistic and cultural identity. The scientific approach of the study is phenomenological, which means that the study aims to describe the phenomenon of multilingualism, multiculturalism and integration based on informants' subjective experiences. Nine people were interviewed for this study, and the collected data were analysed using content analysis. All nine informants were living in the capital area of Finland when the interviews were done, but are born in another country. The results of this study demonstrate the significance of language and culture for a person's identity. The linguistic and cultural identities form during the entire course of life and can be seen as a lifelong process.
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(2022)Goal. The aim of this thesis is to study multilingualism and the role of linguistic diversity in teaching in a Finnish-Swedish school context. Previous research has emphasized that multilingualism should be considered as the normal starting point in teaching and seen as a resource. In order to achieve the purpose of the thesis, I have formulated the following research questions. What influences classroom teachers' perception of multilingualism in school? What is the perception of multilingualism as part of teaching by teachers? Methods. The thesis used a qualitative research method with a phenomenographic approach. As a material collection method, semi-structured interviews were used. Five class teachers from three different Swedish-language schools, in two different medium-sized municipalities in southern Finland, participated in the research. During the interviews, the informants worked with grades one to two and five to six. The material was analyzed using qualitative analysis. With the help of the qualitative analysis, the class teachers' voice was highlighted on how multilingualism is perceived in today's school and as part of the teaching. Results and conclusions. The teachers who participated in the thesis perceived multilingualism in school, as something that is influenced by society and the operating culture. Multilingualism was perceived as a positive resource, which increases openness between different actors in the school, and which increases tolerance for differences and diversity. That multilingualism was perceived as a positive resource reduced prejudice in school. Multilingualism as part of teaching was perceived to be related to teacher identity, learning and language awareness. The teachers described that multilingualism can be a source of knowledge and function as a support for learning. The results showed that it is important to support students' multilingual background in order to strengthen students' self-esteem and cultural identity. The teachers' language awareness was described as a relevant factor, which influenced how multilingualism is perceived in connection with teaching. This shows a broad phenomenon that needs to be examined and made more aware of in the future.
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(2015)Finland has changed towards plurilingualism in recent years. However most people still speak Finnish as their mother tongue. Even though there are multiple languages spoken in the country, only a few language has an official status. In this study I research linguistic choices among plurilingual youth, language discourses and hierarchies between languages. The purpose of this study is to understand how plurilingual people create their plurilinguistic identity in a rather monolingual country. Previous researches have proposed that language is an important part of identity and and they cannot be separated. In this study I also research how plurilingual youth speak about languages and do they find hierarchies between languages and how different languages are treated in society. In previous studies it is shown that languages are not equal and there are hierarchies between languages. My data consists of two focus group interviews. The analysis is divided in two parts. With critical discourse analysis I research plurilinguistic discourses of how informants represent and identify themselves as language users. Language, in this study, is seen as a socially constructed and is seen heteroglossic. Plurilingualism is seen as a natural part of language. Discourse is seen as a limited source of socially constructed entities. With a content analysis I have researched interviewees knowledge of linguistic equality and hierarchies between languages. Reasons behind linguistic choices among youth are also viewed. According to this study linguistic identity is created among social context and linguistic group. Data showed different discourses through which plurilingual youth created their plurilinguistic identity. Language is seen as a vital part of linguistic group. Interviewees constructed their identities reflecting themselves in their social circumstances and linguistic groups. Their sense of appreciation and status of their language depended on the status of their language in society. The data showed hierarchies between languages. Plurilingualism is all in all seen as a positive resource. It is seen as an important part of ones identity.
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(2024)The increase of multilingual children in Finnish ECEC has highlighted the need to assess its inclusivity and effectiveness in educating and caring for children from various backgrounds. As early childhood is a crucial time for the development of language, social-emotional skills, and experiences of participation, it is essential that all children are effectively supported in developing these skills and provided with experiences of belonging. This study aims to investigate multilingual children’s participation opportunities during a shared reading and discussion activity. Eleven video-recorded shared reading sessions from different ECEC groups were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Finnish was the language of instruction in all groups. Multilingual children’s behaviour was examined in reference to three categories: active engagement and participation, passive engagement with little participation, or interfering behaviour with limited engagement and participation. Based on these observations, groups were divided into three categories depending on if they were considered to have a lot, some or little participation and engagement for multilingual children. Teachers’ methods for facilitating participation and engagement were also investigated, which resulted in 6 main themes and 19 categories being identified. The analysis revealed that most multilingual children actively participated in the activity, and teachers used multiple methods to facilitate participation and engagement. However, there were several groups where some children did not participate actively and received little support and attention from the teacher. Children’s multilingual competence was also rarely made visible during the sessions, as Finnish was the only language used in all groups. While the findings were generally positive, the lack of support for some multilingual children’s participation and the prevalence of monolingual practices indicate that the use of language-aware and inclusive methods could be developed especially in reference to shared reading.
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(2019)Globalization is changing and challenging our society. As a result of this change, there is also a growing possibility to develop well-functioning multilingual environments. In the future, teachers and leaders of different associations may often work in environments where two languages are used in parallel with one another. This leads us to the question, how to lead and communicate pedagogically using multiple languages? Multilingualism and multilingual schools, along with their potential, have been discussed in the Finnish media, which makes the discussion about multilingual practices relevant. This study’s aim is to examine how football coaches in a multilingual environment communicate and lead while using multiple languages. The thesis has been written in collaboration with the project UPS-HIFK, a cooperation between the University of Helsinki, FSI (Finlands svenska idrott) and the football club, HIFK. UPS-HIFK was part of a study project called “Ung på Svenska” which was financed by Kulturfonden. The study is inductive and qualitative and data has been gathered through both video and interviews. Moreover, the main participants consisted of four football coaches who were observed in their natural working environment. The coaches were also interviewed to get a deeper understanding of their experiences of the multilingual practice. The coaches’ leadership was examined through Chelladurai’s (2017) multidimensional leadership model as well as through transformational leadership theory; while the multilingual working methods were studied through García’s (2009) multilingual strategies. The results demonstrate a complex leadership role that is shaped by context, as well as players- and coaches’ characteristics. Furthermore, the coach and the environment supported the players' individual growth in many areas, including language development. The coach altered his language depending on the players' language skills and who he was communicating with. The multilingual strategies used could occasionally work as resources for the coaches’ leadership and communication. The coaches showcased a flexible and dynamic communication style that was supported by body language. Every coach had developed their own micro practice to cope in the multilingual working environment. The conditions were given, but every coach’s varying level of language skills and leadership style shaped the outcome of the praxis. The results show that a multilingual approach could be incorporated in other similar environments. However, leaders in these environments need to put effort into planning the work and language acquisition, while maintaining a positive an open mindset to reassure that the environment is pedagogical and developing for the participants.
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